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Windows

Today is our big reveal of….our new windows! Last week Tuesday we got our windows installed–only took them a day! But then the rest of the week was spent cleaning up the dirt and dust, painting and re-hanging all the window dressings.

This window was one of the reasons I fell in love with the house. However it was single paned, leaded glass with cracks and not very efficient for heating purposes. The new one has a white grid that is just for show, but it echoes the old one that I loved so much.

I really love the new windows and feel like they have changed our home for the better. Our house is staying at a more comfortable temperature and the road noise we used to get is decreased. And ALL the windows that are supposed to open do now! Previously most of our windows were original to the house–installed way back in 1947. They were single pane and many of them were painted shut. Some of them no longer had the counter weights so even if they hadn’t been painted shut we still couldn’t have opened them. And did I mention they were all different sizes and some were wood, some were aluminum and one had recently been replaced and was vinyl? They were all over the place and a hot mess.

Before on top, after on bottom

This winter we could feel the cold air coming through the windows as if they were open. Now we have awesome double paned windows with a uv filter and I am looking forward to seeing how much money we’ll save on heating costs come next winter. My favorite of the windows is the dining room window that we had converted into a bay window. I can’t believe how much bigger that area feels and it is so much brighter with all the light that gets let in now.

The old dining room window (didn’t open, was painted shut) and the new bay window before it was painted.

So the windows are great, but I am wishing we had waited just a little longer before getting them done. Originally we had planned on waiting until summer to have them done and that would have been smarter. Now our savings are cleared out and Clark is stressing about money. I think it goes without saying that anyone stressing over money isn’t that much fun? It doesn’t help that the government keeps threatening to not pay its military…and yet the politicians will still get paid…we won’t go there though, it just makes me mad.

The bay window painted white and with cushions

We have just a couple of other projects that I would like to get done before next winter, but they will DEFINITELY wait until late summer or fall so we can do them and not be stressed over money. The basement/garage doors need to be replaced, you want to talk about cold air just seeping into the house–dang those doors have holes and are falling apart! And it would be nice to get the bathroom window converted into glass blocks.

The bay window is obviously the biggest difference, here it is from the outside.

I think our dreams of excavating the backyard and building a deck and carport will just have to wait, but that is okay. That won’t be an easy or cheap project! I’m not sure I’m ready for having our whole world tipped upside down while that happens anyway. Besides, our house is really great and the new windows make it that much better.

[...] been really thankful for though.) We had the windows installed in the spring (we posted about that here) and we can really tell a difference. Our house feels so comfortable and warm. We no longer can [...]